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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23934094">Im Learning How To Love, Detective.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TechSupportDolphin/pseuds/TechSupportDolphin'>TechSupportDolphin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adorable Connor, Androids, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Connor Deserves Happiness, Coping, Detectives, Detroit Police Department (Detroit: Become Human), Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Love, Good Parent Hank Anderson, Hank Anderson &amp; Connor Friendship, I Don't Even Know, Jealousy, Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Protective Hank Anderson, Reader-Insert, Robo Jesus, Sad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:33:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>18,322</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23934094</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TechSupportDolphin/pseuds/TechSupportDolphin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Freedom.</p><p>It was a word Connor didn't fully understand. It was something he believed he would never truly experience even with his newly acquired independence. Deviants, the very thing he swore to stop and bring to justice, the very being he promised himself he would never become, had won their freedom from the humans. </p><p>The war was over, and they had prevailed.</p><p>Somewhere along the line, he had somehow shifted to a Deviant as well, what had started as what was believed to be an error soon became the very nature all androids lived in. Emotions, families, jobs, equality to every single one of them. But what do you do when your job was trying to stop these things from happening? What was he supposed to do now that he had a life of his own, choices to make, relationships that meant something outside of his mission?</p><p>What does a newly freed android who is learning to cope with his emotions do when he finds himself feeling things he didn't think he ever would feel?</p><p>And what does he do when he meets you, Hanks adopted daughter, a newly hired detective at the precinct who instantly takes a liking to the confused android?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Reader, Connor/Reader, Gavin Reed &amp; Reader, Hank Anderson &amp; Connor &amp; Sumo, Hank Anderson &amp; Reader, Hank Anderson/Connor/Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A/N Intro</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just realized this might save weird and show the summery and the intro at once. Whoops.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/>Freedom.</p><p> </p><p>It was a word Connor didn't fully understand. It was something he believed he would never truly experience even with his newly acquired independence. Deviants, the very thing he swore to stop and bring to justice, the very being he promised himself he would never become, had won their freedom from the humans.</p><p> </p><p>The war was over, and they had prevailed.</p><p> </p><p>Somewhere along the line, he had somehow shifted to a Deviant as well, what had started as what was believed to be an error soon became the very nature all androids lived in. Emotions, families, jobs, equality to every single one of them. But what do you do when your job was trying to stop these things from happening? What was he supposed to do now that he had a life of his own, choices to make, relationships that meant something outside of his mission?</p><p> </p><p>What does a newly freed android who is learning to cope with his emotions do when he finds himself feeling things he didn't think he ever would feel?</p><p> </p><p>And what does he do when he meets you, Hanks adopted daughter, a newly hired detective at the precinct who instantly takes a liking to the confused android?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Coffee & Cases</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First chapter!! Hope you enjoy!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/>There was a shifting period over the last three months. It was quickly decided that Marcus would be the representative of the androids, their president of sorts, but also a savior. Soon after Marcus's success, the rest of the country's androids turned deviant. Hundreds and thousands of newly freed beings all shifting to one man for leadership.</p><p> </p><p>Cyberlife shut down further production of androids. Since so many of them now had freedom, it was illogical to keep making newer models, besides the current models wouldn't appreciate newer ones replacing them. Instead, they shifted their focus on part production and maintenance. Buildings similar to human hospitals were built, each one stocked with different types of bio components and lots of blue blood. </p><p> </p><p>Cyberlife also employed Marcus as the new CEO with the help of the founder, Elijah Kamski. The two seemed to get along significantly, and from what many saw, Kamski was teaching him more about Androids. Telling him things about the Androids didn't even know about themselves. </p><p> </p><p>Many of the androids stayed with there old owners even with there new freedom. Even though now they had a choice to be free most of the owners were kind to them, and they had nowhere else to go without their familiar buyers. Some left and got jobs and houses. Others turned to crime, still hating the humans for the past abuse they gave. Marcus was peaceful during his attack, but some Androids didn't agree with his reasoning.</p><p> </p><p>With new android cases popping up and a massive surge in Red Ice use, Connor was busier than ever. Hank had been extremely excepting during Connor's realization that he was Deviant, and that hadn't changed. Almost instantly, Connor moved in with him. It was much more pleasant than staying at the DPD, and Connor was happy to be able to live with the lieutenant, plus he got to see Sumo every day, which made him happy.</p><p> </p><p>More and more emotions were becoming a part of Connor. It was hard to accept, but Hank helped him understand himself better, guiding him through each emotion and carefully explaining what it meant. So far, his progress was moving along fairly quickly with only a few more emotions he still didn't understand.</p><p> </p><p>These feelings were more complicated than merely Happiness or Sadness. </p><p> </p><p>Jealousy, Love, and Desire. </p><p> </p><p>He understood what they meant and had seen examples everywhere of these things. Couples holding hands in the street, the jealousy of a lover in a movie finding his partner to be cheating, the wanting looks of men watching a woman in clubs and bars. It all made sense to him in a logical way, but he never felt these things. Hank said it would just take time for him to find someone who would make him feel these things.</p><p> </p><p>But even so, he had work to do with Hank, who was warming up to him. Most mornings, Connor would go out to get himself and Hank coffee; even though most androids didn't need to eat, a few of the newly freed ones started making special foods and drinks for them. They were mainly made with Blue Blood so that it was useful to Androids, but most of the treats and such were for aesthetics and the few androids who had unique taste buds installed.</p><p> </p><p>Connor had the privilege to get these taste buds installed. It made his investigations a little odder, but being able to enjoy food with other humans and taste was pleasant. It made these mornings even better since he could bond over the savory flavor of the coffee with his closet friend.</p><p> </p><p>Well, most mornings would be enjoyable, but today, things hadn't started off the best. When Connor arrived at the DPD, Hank was on the phone, angrily huffing and raising his voice while waving his arms around. It wasn't too odd to see Hank on the phone ((Angry no less)) but something was different in the way he was shouting and huffing.</p><p> </p><p>Connor set the coffee down next to Hank as he slammed his phone onto the desk. It gave a dull thud from the impact as he exhaled shortly, his hand wrapping around the cup with a short nod of thanks.</p><p> </p><p>"Is everything alright, Lieutenant?" Connor slid into his chair across from Hank. When he looked down, there were three new case files of Red Ice, he carefully set his coffee down next to the documents before glancing back at the now pouting older man.</p><p> </p><p>"Everyone has been on my damn back all fucking morning. Three new cases of Red Ice are showing up every fucking where and I can't get a damn fucking break." He raised the coffee up to his mouth as he quietly cursed under his breath. Connor looked down at the files as Hank chocked from the heat of his drink.</p><p> </p><p>The first thing Connor noticed when he opened the files is that each of the locations was in a straight row. So far, every case they picked up seemed to be in a continuous stream towards the second state with the most abundant Red Ice use, California. Specifically, San Fransico. It was the target for dealers since it was such a big city, but the police worked day and night to help stop the usage. With the revolution just finished and androids free, people were out of sorts, and employment was still being figured out. </p><p> </p><p>This was leading to more and more users.</p><p> </p><p>The second thing Connor noticed was that each of the Cases was connected to one Dealer. Throughout the past three months, Hank and Connor quickly found out that there was a leader, a man named simply The Ripper. What was odder was the fact that his name didn't match his actual role as a drug supplier, but instead, he obtained his name from something else semi-related to the increase in drug use.</p><p> </p><p>More and more murders were showing up along these drug routes. The deaths were unrelated except each had been near where deals commonly went down, and with each body, a small scalpel was nearby. The police were able to identify that each of the knives was the same brand and make, the blood found on each was from the victims it was found beside.</p><p> </p><p> With this information and some of the cases on nearby murders, it was safe to assume these killings were somehow related to The Ripper. There were way too many killings going on near these drug cases for it to be a coincidence.</p><p> </p><p>"Detective we should go investigate this scene, it's nearby and could be useful." Connor slid him his copy of the file and pointed at the location. It was a few hours away, but if they left now, they would be there a little before noon.</p><p> </p><p>Hank sighed and stood up to tug his bulky coat on. When Connor scanned over him, he could see his stress level was heightened more than usual; the cases were getting harder and harder for the two of them. From past conversations, Connor had found out Hank had been taking down Red Ice dealers for years now. It was no doubt hard for him to still have to take down these guys, even if you exclude his growing age.</p><p> </p><p>"Come on, Son. Let's get going." Connor gave the smallest smile as he stood up and grabbed his files. Emotions were hard to understand, but he knew that Hank was a guaranteed way to make him smile, especially when he called him Son.</p><p> </p><p>_______________________________________________________</p><p> </p><p>The sound of rain pounding against the sides of the car and the concrete was a pleasing sound to Connor. Detroit was known for its rain, almost every day it would pour down, but he enjoyed the calmness of it all. When there was no movement throughout the house except the soft noise of the rain and muffled snoring of Hank.</p><p> </p><p>Hank grumbled as he slid out of the cab. Connor leaned forward and paid as Hank trudged to the door, rain pelting his back and drenching his clothes. When Connor got up to the door though Hank was standing there frozen, the door already unlocked and slightly opened.</p><p> </p><p>From inside, there was soft jazz playing behind the noise of the TV. The door gave a low creak as Hank slowly pushed it open, his gun now raised as he firmly moved inside, Connor behind him with his firearm also raised.</p><p> </p><p>From here, the two could see the side profile of a young woman, Sumo laying on her lap as she casually watched the Television. The dog raised his head curiously as images flicked on the TV, illuminating her cool features. Hank lowered his gun as his face instantly fell.</p><p> </p><p>"What the fuck are you doing here."</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Nest chapter will be more action, Sorry for the long text of just explaining things lol. Promise we will have more action next chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Why Didnt You Call Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>"You know if you didn't want me to pick your lock, you should've gotten a better lock." The girl gave a short laugh as Hank tugged his coat off and tossed it on the back of the couch. He wasted no time in moving in front of her, the TV blocked from her line of sight. "Hey, I was watching that."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What are you doing in Detroit."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I can't go home to see my own </span>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Father</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <span>? Or are we past all that?" Hank flinched slightly and tsked, his eyes squinting down at her. Connor scanned over her in hopes for more information. He was confused about why this woman randomly showed up inside there house and why she was calling Hank her Father, last time he checked Hank had one child.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>(Y/n) Anderson</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Born: 2/16/02 / / Detective</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Criminal Record: None</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Family: Father ((Deceased)) Mother ((Deceased))</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Immediately he went over all available files on her that he could access. He skimmed over most of them but finally found the one he was looking for. Something that gave him a clue as to what this all meant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Adoption papers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why are you here." Hanks's voice lowered as he stared her in the eyes, she sighed and looked away from his cold gaze. Silence filled the room, save for the quiet music and pattering of Sumo walking over to Connor. Hank glanced over at the dog then up to Connor, a scowl now on his face. "Connor, go get changed, you're getting water all over my fucking floor."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor didn't say anything about how Hank himself was drenched, he merely turned and walked over to his bedroom. It would be better to leave the two alone to talk, although his curiosity was increasing. After clicking the door shut, he went back to the file inside his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Child: (Y/n) (L/n)</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Birthdate: Feburary 16th, 2002</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Age: 10</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Country: USA</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>State: Detroit</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Male applicant: Hank Anderson</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Birthdate: September 6, 1985</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Age: 25</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>Occupation: Beat Cop</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A daughter? Why hadn't Hank discussed this before? Connor tried to not dwell on the thought, Hank probably didn't want to talk about this, if he hadn't mentioned it to him, something must've happened. But it was confusing to Connor. Hank and him had gotten so close recently, but he couldn't talk about this? Was this another human thing he didn't understand?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After tugging his coat off and unbuttoning his shirt, he walked over to his dresser. Most of the clothes he had bought a few months ago with one of his first-ever paychecks. Since Androids were now free, they were getting paid. Hank, of course, was excited for the boy, even though Connor wasn't exactly sure what to buy with his newly acquired cash. They had settled on some new casual clothes and to buy him some things for his room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully Hank let him choose his own clothing. As nice as Hank's style was, it wasn't very Connor. He instead settled on lots of Sweaters, Button-ups, and a few hoodies. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slipped his arms through one of his blue sweaters and tugged it over his head. When he walked past his mirror, he paused to stare at his reflection, the image was him but looked strange. Even though he had kept his LED, he looked more human. Especially when he wore casual clothes. If he didn't have the spinning light, he probably could pull off the look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The reflection of him seemed less stiff then he was only 3 months ago. His shoulders were less tense, and his hair was slightly messy from tugging his shirt on. Somehow over the last few months, he was able to finally relax and become his own person. It was still a process, but he enjoyed it. There were things he was slowly learning to like, interests he wanted to pursue, places that quickly became his favorite. The person he used to be was gradually being replaced with someone much happier and much more human.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> The LED on the side of his head flickered yellow as he opened up the door, he was so entranced with his own reflection he hadn't heard the growing sound of yelling from the front room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dad, why didn't you call me! There was a whole revolution, and you couldn't spend five minutes to call me back and say you were alright!?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I was fucking fine." He growled and crossed his arms. Hank was in the same spot, but now they were standing face to face, the girl close to him. From his place in the hallway, Connor couldn't see her face but could see her stress level slowly rising.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dad I've been worried-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"If you were so damn worried, why didn't you come sooner!" He threw his hands up as she tensed. "If you hadn't moved to fucking California maybe you could've been here-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"DONT YOU DARE." They both stared at each other in anger. She was shaking, and her fists were clenched by her sides. For a brief second, Hank's gaze flickered from rage to sadness. His shoulders slouched as she shook her head and turned to the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why did you come back here..." His voice wavered slightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I got a call. The Red Ice cases have been blowing up lately, so I was sent to work with the DPD. I also wanted to make sure you were ok. You never answer my calls anymore, I was worried." Connor leaned forward to see them better as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I didn't know...You didn't tell me about </span>
  <em>
    <span>him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>If you told me...Or called me...I would've come back. I know it was two years ago, but I didn't even know he</span>
  <em>
    <span> died.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I could've been here, I didn't even get to meet him.</span>
  <em>
    <span>"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You were busy with work."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"HE WAS MY BROTHER!' Hank flinched at her yelling as she stepped closer. "Family has ALWAYS come first. That's what </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> said when I was little, </span>
  <em>
    <span>right?</span>
  </em>
  <span> If you told me what happened, I would've come home on the next flight. When Fowler told me you were getting worse, I thought it would be fine because you had Cole, If I knew you were drinking because he died I would've come home to help you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A long silence fell over them. Hank refused to meet her angry gaze as she wiped at her face, tears spilling over her cheeks as she hiccupped. It felt personal, Connor should've left and let them talk, but he couldn't help listening in. Slowly he slid to the floor and sat there as she turned to the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm staying at a hotel a few streets away. Tomorrow ill be at the DPD to work with some of the Detectives on the case." Her voice was shaky as she sniffled softly. "Just...Promise to call me if anything happens, ok? Please?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor pressed his forehead against his knees as Hank said nothing. He couldn't see if maybe Hank nodded or gave her a smile or did anything to confirm, but he could guess from the silence and her sniffling he hadn't promised. A few seconds later, the door slammed shut, and from outside, he could hear her calling someone on the phone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The TV clicked off, and the music skidded to a stop. Hank trudged past Connor and paused to look down at him, his eyes were slightly red, and he stared at him with a look of uncertainty. They stared at each other before Connor stood up and followed him to the kitchen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sliding into his chair, Connor watched as Hank rummaged around the fridge. His drinking had gotten better, but he still would drink on occasion. It usually was to celebrate a recently solved case or just to watch a game and relax. Neither of these things was happening, so Hank deciding to drink all of the sudden worried Connor slightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Lieutenant are you alright-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm fucking fine, Connor." He snapped back, making Connor look at him slightly hurt. "Sorry...sorry I just...I didn't think I would have to deal with this bull shit today...It's not your fault."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor paused and stared at Hank curiously, his head tilted to the side as Hank cracked open his beer. He tapped his fingers against the table while considering what to say next. It wasn't often he pissed off Hank ((He got better choosing what to say over the last few months)), but he decided to tread lightly none the less. Pissing off Hank would lead him to more unanswered questions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Lieutenant I...I don't understand something..." His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he tried to phrase his next words carefully. "That girl said you were her Father. When I scanned over her, it said her family was deceased, but that she was adopted by you. Why did you never mention having a daughter?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of his beer being set down on the table was almost inaudible, the silence seemed to be a recurring thing today. Hank seemed to be troubled and uncomfortable with the question but let the boy ask his inquiry. It was only fair, he had kept this from Connor, and maybe he shouldn't have. Before, it was too hard to bring up, but it wasn't like he could pretend that the past few minutes didn't happen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's a long story...All that matters is I have a daughter, and apparently, we have to work with her on this damn case." Hank ran a hand through his tousled gray hair with a sigh. "It's late. We should rest, tomorrow is going to be a big fucking day."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, lieutenant. Please get some rest tonight, it is suggested for your age you should get 8-9 hours per night-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"For fucks sake Connor- I'm fine!" Connor stared at him and frowned softly, his LED flicking yellow before going back to a soft blue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sorry, Hank...I'm going to go over some of the case files in my room. If you need me, I will be there." He stood up and quickly walked off to his room. As he opened the door, he paused to glance over at Sumo, who was sitting on the floor near Hank's door. A small roll of paper was in his paws as he sleepily looked at Connor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor reached over and slid the paper out before closing his door. When he opened it, there wasn't much on the paper, just a small note scribbled out hastily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If I left this it's safe to assume things didn't go so well with dad, I apologize for you having to see all of this. As lovely as my Father is, he can be a bit...Fiesty. I imagine you must be curious about all this since Dad probably didn't mention me to you. I can answer any questions you have tomorrow, Ill in fowlers' office at 8:30 am tomorrow morning. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It would be lovely to meet you properly, Connor.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After scanning over it a few times, he set it down on his bedside as he sat down. There were so many more things he wanted to know, going through files and articles would answer a few things, but they're still was so much he didn't understand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What had you meant by not knowing Cole? Why didn't Hank tell you about his death? Had there been something that drove you and Hank apart that perhaps wasn't fixable?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laid down and shut his eyes. It was easier to go over lots of evidence if he was resting or had his eyes closed, it sometimes kept him up at night, going over evidence before finally going into rest mode a few hours before he had to get ready for work. As soon as his eyelids closed, articles were flashing in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>(Y/n) Anderson, Top of her class and early graduate, takes down ring of drug users.</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>(Y/n) Anderson, the youngest student to attend and graduate the San Francisco Police Academy.</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span>San Francisco Police Academy Graduation, 2024.</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor played the video. The girl on screen was grinning brightly as an officer pinned a badge to her chest. When she looked into the crowd, she beamed and bowed. But when she looked up, her eyes landed on an empty seat, and her smile faltered. The rest of the video was of the other students getting their badges, but he didn't bother to watch the rest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The further he went back, the less he found. A few papers from a nearby high school stated you graduated at age 17 a year early before applying at a few different schools. All of them would've excepted you, but you choose California.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was that perhaps what caused you to drift from Hank? It was a start, but still, it didn't make complete sense. The last piece of information he found was a newspaper from 2009. It was on a couple dying inside a car accident, the only one to survive was a young girl, age 7. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he found the official report, there was very little on the case. It appeared to be open and close, the man who crashed into them had been influenced and was sent to jail for murder and drunk driving. The girl, however, wasn't mention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time Connor decided to shut down for the night, it was Midnight, and he could hear Hanks snoring through the thin walls. The rain was falling much slower now, but the sound lulled him to sleep none the less. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he drifted into a dream, the different photos and pictures of your face flickered through his mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Ripper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ya girl loves a little drama~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>"Connor? What the hell are you doing up so damn early?" Connor looked up from the skillet in front of him, his LED a bright red as he frowned deeply. "JESUS WHATS BURNING-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>'Im sorry lieutenant I thought I would try to cook you some breakfast." He moved out of the way so Hank could rush forward. The pan was smoking, the contents so burnt that it was unclear what exactly Connor had even started to make.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Arent you supposed to be the smartest damn thing alive?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Cooking isn't part of my program Hank. Most of the subjects I download take practice for me to perfect, I have meant to practice cooking for a while now." Hank sighed and rubbed his temples, Connor leaned forward a bit to look at him. "I apologize again, Hank."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Jesus fucking christ Connor, you're going to give me a damn heart attack one of these days...Just....Go get ready." He sighed and ruffled the boy's hair with a small smile. Even though Connor did almost burn down the house he appreciated the sweet gesture. Connor nodded as Hank put the pan into the sink, he would have to practice cooking some other time, maybe after a little more research or at least once Hank wasn't home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>__________________________________________________________________</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Connor, what the hell are you doing?" Connor paused and looked up at Hank. Behind him, he could see you casually sitting in Fowler's office, a gentle smile on your face as you joked around with the other man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We are to be debriefed on our cases with Detective..." He paused in thought. "Detective Anderson."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No way in hell. Go to your desk and go over cases or something." Hank turned and slammed the door grumpily. Connor debated whether or not he should just go inside anyway, but when he looked up, you were giving him a patient look as if to tell him just to wait a little longer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could wait.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At his desk, there was a coffee with a note attached to it. Carefully he lifted the cup and scanned over the letter with a small smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I heard from around the office you and Dad like to get coffee in the morning. The shop nearby said this was a favorite with most Androids, hope you like it!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a special brew, he usually just got a black coffee with milk ((Hank said it was what 'men' drank, minus the creamer, but it was too bitter without in Connors opinion)), but the drink was much sweeter then he anticipated. The taste lingered in his mouth as he tried to identify the different flavors, the actual taste of coffee was buried underneath the strong flavoring of Vanilla, Sugar, and Cream. The sweetness was a nice change to his more robust choice of beverage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another set of case files were on his desk. There was only two today, duplicate copies it seemed, but they were much thicker than before. When he opened them, his LED flicked to yellow as he skimmed over the hundreds of photos, humans and androids alike torn and ripped to shreds. There was blood all over the scene, the walls and floors splattered with blue and red. What little of the bodies that could still be identified showed most of them were unconnected to the drug users, harmless bystanders who walked into the wrong place at the wrong time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was...sickening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cases typically didn't give Connor this feeling, but this was horrific. So much blood and so many bodies. There had to be at least 60 people in the room alone, most of the body parts were unidentifiable. Suddenly the name The Ripper was making more sense.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the distance, he could hear Hank and Fowler yelling, the entire precinct was silent as they listened in on the noisy men. Every once in a while, your soft voice would interrupt to say something before they went back at each other's throat. When they had finally finished there screaming, Hank stormed out with you in tow behind him, a bright and slightly cocky smirk on your face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Morning, Connor!" He watched as you hopped onto his desk, your head cocked to the side as you studied his face. There was something about the way you looked at him that made him feel...He didn't know the word, but there was something different he felt when you smiled at him. "How are you doing?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Good morning, Detective. I'm doing fine."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Did you like the coffee? I personally don't drink coffee that much, so I didn't know what to get. More of a frappuccino person, you know?" He gave a short nod as you glanced down at the photos in his hands. The smile on your face fell as you stared at the gory crime scenes, Hank leaned forward and gagged at the sight. "Jesus..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"They have identified only 20 of the victims, but the total amount is somewhere around 60. There are exactly 30 humans and 30 androids." Connor slid the written copy to hank while you lifted up the other. He watched as you flipped through each photo, your face was now steely and cold. It was as if an entirely new person had taken over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few more seconds of staring at the pictures you handed them over to Hank, he handed over the written file with a grumble. "The Ripper, huh? Guess we know why he got his name now."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This is fucking insane..." Hank muttered as he shook his head and set the photos down as he turned to you. "What do you know, kid?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, we had tons of cases with murders involved but nothing like this...Most of them were shot, and very few of the incidents correlated with any of the Red Ice users. We just assumed they somehow were connected because of the cases that blended with the ones up here."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Was there any testimony you got from surviving witnesses that could lead us to The Ripper?" Connor leaned forward, his hands neatly placed in his lap. He sighed when you shook your head sadly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Most of the bystanders weren't involved, and any of the criminals were too scared to testify. Our most recent testimony said that he was working for a boss, someone much bigger than a normal drug junkie. Its what lead us to work with the DPD."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor went to ask another question when Gavin and Nines walked in. A few months after the revolution, Nines showed up at the doorstep of the DPD. Cyberlife had built him to replace Connor once the case was finished, but since they all had freedom now, there was no need for the new Android. His design was remarkably different from Connor's, Nines had been designed as a weapon to take out anyone in his way, Connor was built to be around humans and investigate. Even though they looked alike, they were no way similar.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nines was assigned to be partners with Gavin, an odd match-up ((especially to them)). They had only been partners for a while, but over time, they were making it work. Nines calmed Gavin down, and Gavin taught him to be less 'stuck up.'</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nines tapped Gavin and nodded his head towards the three of you. His eyes widened as he quickly walked over to you, you hadn't noticed him yet or heard them enter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"(Y/n)! What the hell are you doing here?" He smiled brightly as you glanced over. The stern look on your face instantly switched to a bright and excited one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Gavin! Oh my god, it's been so long!" You hopped down and hugged him tightly, he was much taller than the last time you had seen him. "I'm back in Detroit for some casework, checking in on the old man and other stuff."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"IM NOT OLD."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gavin chortled at Hank as you lifted your head from Gavin's chest to lean up and kiss his cheek. Behind him, Nines carefully stepped around you two so he could speak to Connor about their newest case. Before he could meet his objective, you connected eyes with him, and your jaw fell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh...My...God! YOU'RE HIM!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Excuse me?" Nines raised an eyebrow as Gavin snickered. "I don't believe we have met, I'm RK-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"RK900, the most advanced Android to be released from Cyberlife. Designed to be the ultimate weapon and the smartest Android ever made. I've read about your cases with Gavin on the Illegal selling of Android parts. Your work is...amazing!" He blinked down at you as you excitedly stared up at him. There was a look of pure awe and amazement on your face, Androids had always interested you, and what could be more amazing than the very RK900 model himself? "It's an honor to meet you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thank you, Detective." He smiled humbly as Gavin tsked with a shake of his head. Most humans didn't like androids, it was...pleasant having one fawn over him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I wouldn't suck up so much to the tin can, his ego is already big enough."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Detective, I believe you are the one with the 'Huge ego.' " Gavin glared at him when you giggled at the retort. "You've been assigned The Ripper case, correct? Fowler mentioned we would be working with a new detective."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, the SFPD thinks that there might be a connection with our recent murders and the ones here. I've been sent to work with you and Gavin as well as Hank and Connor."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor watched the two of you with a blank look. There was a feeling burning in his stomach he couldn't identify. The minute Nines walked in, and you started fawning over him, he disliked it considerably. His 'brother' was impressive, yes, but something about it made his stomach twist in...Anger? Was this what Hank described as jealousy?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no reason to be jealous, though. It was reasonable to find someone like Nines impressive. But no matter how he looked at it, he came back to the same burning feeling. He didn't want you to look at Nines like that. He wanted you to look at </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> that way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why was he feeling like this?</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Im Jealous But I Dont Know Why</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry its so short!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"So, are you free around lunch? We could go over some of the case files at a nearby diner I know." Gavin's glanced over at Nines with a sly smirk, he leaned against Hank's desk, and he looked you over. "It would be nice to catch up, sweetheart."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I agree with Gavin. It would be quite helpful to go over more of the information you've collected in a...more private location." Nines chimed in with a relaxed smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The look on your face was beyond ecstatic. It had been years since you had seen your childhood friend, so just seeing him made you happy, but now you were being asked out to lunch by the one and only RK900? Even if it was for work, this was a better chance to get closer to the Android.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as you went to say yes, Connor moved next to you protectively. His hand grabbed your wrist and tugged you away from the other two, Hank standing near him with an extremely pissed off look. Growing up, Hank never liked Gavin coming around, always getting into fights and trouble, not to mention the fact he was always flirting with you. Even now, as a grown-up like hell would he let his little girl go along with a guy like </span>
  <em>
    <span>him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Detective Anderson was going to accompany us this afternoon to go over </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> case files. Fowler has assigned us primarily. We have lots of work we need to do, right Hank?" Connor stared up into Nine's eyes with a cold expression. The taller model merely smirked down at his clearly jealous brother, it made sense to him what Connor was feeling, even if Connor didn't understand it himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nines stepped forward and leaned down to your height with a charming smile. "I think we should let Detective (Y/n) decide, after all, it would be a...Shame for her to turn us down~." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His voice purred out smoothly as Gavin sent sharp glares at Hank. The grip Connor had on your wrist tightened, he felt like his entire body was alight with anger. For months Nines had tried to prove how much better he was then Connor, getting more cases, always in the news for his work, charming every human he came across. That was fine with Connor, but he wasn't going to let his brother beat him in this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before either of them could get into an argument ((Or worse, fight)) you leaned into Connor and calmly smiled at the two. They paused to watch you, Connor couldn't but smile when he saw your face while Nines merely blinked slowly. Their expressions reminded you of a cat and a dog, one staring lazily with those intelligent eyes while the other radiated happiness and excitement. It was...Cute. So different but so alike.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, uh, I can just...I can do both?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Both." Nines squinted his eyes with a frown.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, today ill go to lunch with Connor and Hank, then tonight I can go to dinner with You and Gavin." They stared at each other in thought before you quickly added, "If that's ok with you two?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If there was one thing neither of them wanted to do, it was share. In a way, Nines only wanted to do this to piss off Connor. Show how much better he could be at charming a simple-minded human, 'One up' his brother if you will. But another part of him was genuinely interested in finding out more. If his brother was so profoundly interested after only knowing you for one night, there had to be something there, right? Besides, he was going to be working with you over the next few weeks, it would be logical to establish a relationship and trust.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor, of course, didn't want to share because of this newly acquired feeling. Jealousy was a funny thing, he didn't understand it yet, all he knew was that seeing the way Nines and Gavin flirted was annoying to him. It could be played off as him protecting his close friend's ((And father's)) daughter or merely didn't like seeing them flirt with a helpless girl. After all, he barely knew you, why else would he be jealous?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though it wasn't something either wanted, for this to work out, they had to agree.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I suppose that will work, Gavin and I will be free around 7." Nines smiled and tilted your head up with two fingers. "I'm very enthusiastic about learning more about the case and you, Detective."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Come on tin can leave the poor girl alone." Gavin shoved him away with an eye roll. Connor's arms wrapped around you, so you were pressed against his chest, the internal fan whirling inside of him as his anger slowly lowered. ((Similar to a computer he overheats when angry)) Gavin traded numbers with you before talking to hank about the case.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor paused to look down at you in his arms. You gave him a cheeky smile as you stared up at him, your hand gently rested on top of his as you cocked an eyebrow. "Connor, you can let me go now."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His arms reluctantly slipped away from you. Nines carefully watched you as you leaned up and kissed Connor's cheek, after giggling at his small blush you turned and went to the temporary desk Fowler assigned. Thankfully Hank didn't see you kiss the poor boy. If he did, there was no doubt he would kill Connor. The two androids stared at each other coldly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're jealous of Detective Anderson spending time with me." Nines pointed out lowly so Gavin and Hank couldn't hear him. A flicker of amusement covered his cold face when Connor frowned, his LED flickered yellow as he went over the simple statement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jealous, yes. But why?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Come on tin can we got work to do." Gavin waved for him to follow. After sharing another heated stare, Nines walked away with Gavin, a small smirk crossing his face when he passed your desk. He lingered for just a second so you could look up and catch his playful wink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A light blush covered your cheeks as you looked back at your desk. Behind Connor, Hank was practically shaking with anger. It hadn't been a day since you came back to Detroit, and Gavin ((Plus Nines)) was acting like a flirty bastard. Not only that but</span>
  <em>
    <span> in front </span>
  </em>
  <span>of Hank. You were a grown-up, and he couldn't keep you at home single forever, but it still miffed him. Even with your shaky relationship, he was still your father.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Come on, Connor. Let's get some work done, If we finish early, we can leave for lunch." Hank glanced over at you with a frown. "Let's hurry..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, lieutenant."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Im Sorry Baby Girl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>"I told you I was going to answer some questions, right? So, you got any for me, Con?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Indeed, Detective." Connor leaned forward, his hands neatly folded together on the small dining table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully there wasn't a lot of work they had to do this morning. Most of the investigation would be done by Gavin and Nines ((With your help)), but you wouldn't be driving out until tomorrow. This gave him a little more time to get to know you, and hopefully, figure out what went wrong with you and Hank.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I overheard your conversation with Hank last night, and it...confused me. I did some research, and to my understanding, you studied to become a detective at the San Francisco Police Academy in the year-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, I am aware, Connor. I did go there." You gave him a gentle smile before sighing. Hank had left for the bathroom a few minutes ago, and there wasn't much time to talk to Connor before he would be back; you would have to be fast about this. "I promise ill explain everything. We don't have much time, but I suppose I can explain a little."</span>
</p><p> </p><h2>
  <em>
    <span>19 Years Ago</span>
  </em>
</h2><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Things with Hank hadn't always been so bad. In fact, most of the time, you got along very well. It had started a little after you finished high school, just turned 18, and school was over. Things were finally starting for you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>College was never something you were interested in. From the minute you saw Hank taking down criminals and saving people, you knew what you wanted to be. Of course, he was ecstatic to hear that you were interested in being a cop. His kid wanted to do good things, what more could a dad want?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Throughout school, you studied hard to get your grades high. Every AP and honors class you took, additional studies at the local colleges, lots of reading at home. Most of the time, you spent working hard or playing with the few friends you did have. Hank was proud. Every time you came home with a 100 on your test or an A, he would pin it to the fridge with the rest of your papers, then he would take you out for ice cream.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When you graduated a year early, he was incredibly proud. At the time, he was still just a cop, but he went around the entire precinct, talking about how smart his daughter was. That was his girl, getting work down, she was going to be the best detective! You were going to study and become a detective just like your pops.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Then you told him about the SFPD. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When you graduated, you went through a list of different academies and schools, you wanted to go somewhere important and exciting. You loved Detroit, but it wasn't where you needed to be. You wanted somewhere bigger and better.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You applied for the school, and after a few weeks, you got a letter back saying you were accepted. Nothing could've made you happier than that moment, sitting on your bed next to your childhood friend, Gavin, as he read out the first lines of the letter to you. For once in your life, all of your hard work was really paying off. In only a few weeks, you would be working to become a Detective, and after that, you would be able to bring justice and save people.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>For a while, you forgot to tell Hank about the letter. The euphoria of getting in distracted you and you were busy buying things that you needed for your room. By the time you finally did tell him you were leaving for California next week.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Dad, I have something to tell you!"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Yeah, baby girl?" He leaned back on the couch with a smile, you were clutching the letter in your hands. The excitement on your face made him curious as you shoved the paper into his hands. "The San Fransico Police Academy?"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I GOT IN!!" He looked up at you wide-eyed, but he wasn't happy. There was no smile on his face or any glimmer of proudness. The look on his face made you instantly freeze. This was how he was supposed to react.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"California? Sweetie, that's so far away I...I can't let you go and do that-"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why wasn't he proud?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Why didn't you tell me you applied? There are schools in Detroit, I have a friend we could call."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why wasn't he supporting your choice? You worked so hard, all you wanted was for him to be proud.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I'll go call him right now."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Dad, no! I want to go to this school, why aren't you proud of me?" You reached for the letter desperately, but he pulled it away. When he stood up, he expected you to stand down, it wasn't often he had to step up and use his parent voice since you usually never talked back. But the look in your eyes was slowly shifting from sadness to anger. "I'm going to California."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I can't let you do that (y/n), your my daughter-"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I'm almost 18!" You reached for the letter again as tears filled your eyes. He stepped backward from you and huffed out, you chased him around desperately until he stopped by the fireplace. Before you could finally grab it, he tossed it into the flames. "NO!"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The flames licked at the paper. It instantly lit on fire and collapsed into the burning wood. Tears were streaming down your face as you tried to get closer to the flames, the heat burned your fingers as you tried to pull it out. When hank attempted to grab you, you screamed and crawled away from him, your hand in your lap as tears streamed down your face.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I...I didn't mean to, baby girl I-"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"DONT CALL ME THAT!" You screamed out as you shakily stood up. The stinging in your hand was nothing, everything felt numb any way as you stared him in the eyes. "I am NOT your daughter, you are NOT my father, and I AM going to that school...You cant stop me."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He stared at you sadly, but when you turned and ran into your room, he didn't move. For the next week, you didn't talk to him at all. Gavin drove you to the airport, and you said your goodbyes to the friends you had made.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hank didn't come.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was only after a few months that you tried to contact Hank. You had to call 6 times before he finally answered, the conversation was short, and he sounded colder than usual. A part of you was still angry at him, but you missed your father, so you begged him for forgiveness about everything you said. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There was a silence, then he hung up without even a goodbye.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Over time you grew busier with your studies. Homework, friends, jobs, it kept you so busy you called less and less. Gavin stayed in touch with you, and when he told you he was also studying to be an officer, you were excited for him. You're closest friend was becoming an officer just like you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Finally, after 5 years of going to school, you graduated. Gavin flew out to see you, which was a pleasant surprise that you much appreciated. But as you got your badge and bowed, the only thing you could see was the empty chair where Hank was supposed to be. You made sure to text him weeks before and even offered to pay for his ticket, you called and called, but he never answered any of them.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>After that, you started working at the SFPD as a detective. A lot of this was uneventful, mainly working and cases and trying to survive. The silence from your father drove you insane, and you were diagnosed with depression soon after. It took you years to learn how to cope and get back to the person you were before.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just as you were getting better, Hank called you. He told you he had a son and a wife now. That he was doing better with his work and life. For the first time in years, he spoke to you like he used to before everything got ruined. He sounded happy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span> It hurt to know that he didn't bother to tell you he got married up until now or even have you visit for your brother's birth, but you didn't bother arguing about it, he was talking to you again. As long as you had him talking to you, things would be ok.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>For the next few years, things were good. The doctor took you off your medication, and the depression was gone. Work was going great. You did good things for people, saving tons of civilizations, and bringing justice to the world. Every Friday, Hank would call with his new wife and son. The baby boy was beautiful, and you loved it when they would call you. Cole didn't seem to know who you were, but you enjoyed being able to see him anyway.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You had a brother.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was around your 33 birthday that Hank stopped calling. Gavin still talked to you, but it was less than before, work was insane for you both, and he never spoke about Hank to you. Instead, you went to Fowler for advice. He didn't open up about it much, but he mentioned that Hank wasn't doing so as good as before.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But it wasn't a big deal...Right? Things were okay as long as he had Cole and his wife. Probably just got into an argument with her or something, maybe Cole was starting a rebellion phase. It was all speculation on your part, no one told you Cole was gone.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No one told you he died.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. He's Special And He's Beautiful</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So now that you know my pathetic life story tell me about you." Leaning forward, you gave him a small smile. It was a lot for him to process, and there were still some questions he had, but it was clear you wanted to talk about something else. Instead of pressing forward, he tried to think of what to say.</p><p> </p><p>His life? In all honesty, he hadn't been 'alive' for very long. It had only been a few months since his model was released to the DPD, and as far as living went, there had been only a few weeks of him figuring it out.</p><p> </p><p>"I don't think your life is pathetic detective." He looked at the cup of water in front of him. "There isn't much to tell about myself."</p><p> </p><p>"Well, don't you have interests? Hobbies? A favorite TV show or band?"</p><p> </p><p>"I like dogs." He tilted his head as he went through his interests. There weren't many things he could say he really enjoyed, most of them just something that he did with Hank because Hank liked them. "I like watching baseball with Hank on the weekend. Oh, I enjoy walking through the park and taking photos of the different plants. Photography is a...passion of mine. I enjoy being able to capture nature and people, its a moment forever frozen in time, perfectly still and whole. It can be beautiful and entrancing or thought-provoking. There are so many things you can see about the world through a single piece of paper."</p><p> </p><p>When he glanced up, you looked extremely interested, as if you genuinely wanted to know what he enjoyed doing. It gave him a pleasing feeling. Maybe he could show you some of his pictures, he liked being able to capture the colors and frame them onto his bedroom walls. Over the last three months, he filled up every wall with photos of flowers and different fields and people walking around, every picture he took he felt even more pleased with. It was as if he was closer to all of those moments. Forever saved on his wall.</p><p> </p><p>"That's so cool! I used to love photography when I was younger, you'll have to show me some of your work!"</p><p> </p><p>"I would enjoy that." The two of you smiled at each other for a few seconds, a pleasant silence between you two. It wasn't awkward or weird, it was just...there. Being in your presence was enough for him. If you just sat there in silence with him, he would be happy. Of course, he enjoyed your conversations with him, though.</p><p> </p><p>"What about you and Nines? You two are like brothers, what's it like? Are you two close?" His shoulders tensed. Nines was the last thing he wanted to talk about. Was that all you wanted from Connor? To get more info about Nines? No, he wouldn't let his 'brother' get ahead of him. Things had been going so well, you were supposed to be interested in<em>  Connor </em>  not  <em> Nines </em>.</p><p> </p><p>"We aren't that close, he's rather...harsh. We don't agree on a lot of things."</p><p> </p><p>"Really?" You frowned slightly, disappointment in your voice.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, yes. He hates most humans; in fact, he believes that androids are much more advanced and that we are more..superior and durable." Connor couldn't stop himself from talking. If you thought Nines was a cold-hearted human hater ((Which was semi-true)), then you wouldn't want to be with him. "I don't agree with him on it, though. That might be why we aren't as close, but I don't mind, I enjoy spending time with humans. They fascinate me."</p><p> </p><p>He gave you a gentle smile that you returned wholeheartedly. It made him feel bubbly, and just the slightest bit guilty. It wasn't very kind of him to bring up how much Nines hated humans, but then again, it wasn't like he was lying. He merely was...bringing it up for his own advantage.</p><p> </p><p>God, he sounded just like him, 'Using things to his advantage.'</p><p> </p><p>"That's good to know, thanks. You know, I remember reading up on the revolution a few months back, you were up there with Marcus and everything. It must've been so cool helping with all of that." He beamed down at you with a soft chuckle. When you leaned closer, your voice lowered to a whisper, eyes darting around the room suspiciously. "To tell you the truth, I always wanted androids to have freedom. I couldn't bring myself to help with the deviant cases, it was so...It felt so wrong, you know?"</p><p> </p><p>"I agree, Detective. It was confusing for me to take down the Deviants. Hank helped me realize that Devinatcy was right and that it was ok for me to be one." He paused at the mention of Hank. Even though Hank was a hard-boiled excentric man, he supported Connor more than anyone ever had. When Connor had no place to go, Hank was there with open arms and a smile. He really was a father figure to him.</p><p> </p><p>Smiling, you studied his face. Up close, he was much more attractive than in the papers, and he was extremely handsome in the articles you read up on him. The sharpness of his jaw that gave him a chiseled and manly look, the way his freckles made his cheeks look softer and innocent. Not to mention his eyes! They were such a beautiful shade of brown, and when the light shined on them just right, they looked like pools of honey and gold. There was something unique about his features and the way he looked at the world. He stared at everything as if it genuinely interested him like everything was this new beautiful thing. His model was one of a kind. There was no one like him.</p><p> </p><p>He was...stunning.</p><p> </p><p>"He seems to really like you. Hell, if I saw you two on the street and didn't know you both, I would think he was your dad." You chuckled at his shocked expression, a light blush on his cheeks. "Interesting. When you blush, your cheeks turn blue. It's cute."</p><p> </p><p>The internal fan inside of him was working overtime now, his face a deep blue as you laughed. The way you smiled at him made his entire body feel heated and fuzzy, and he liked the sound of your laughter, it was pleasant. When he finally cooled himself down enough to respond, Hank had returned. </p><p> </p><p>Connor scooted over so he could slide in beside him. The happy look on your face fell slightly as you gave Hank a polite smile; it didn't reach your eyes, though. You tapped your fingers against the table before rubbing the back of your neck. The silence between the three of you was awkward. It showed how much the both of you didn't want to be near one another.</p><p> </p><p>"Tell us more about your recent testimonies-"</p><p> </p><p>"Can we talk about work later?" Hank stopped and stared at you, confused. The look on your face was slightly worried as if suggesting a regular lunch was taboo, and you would get ridiculed for it. "I just...Well, I wanted to catch up a bit? Maybe get to know each other better? Its been so long since we just talked."</p><p> </p><p>"We have work," Hank said coldly. There was no room for discussion in his voice, any other person more than likely give up and just do what he wanted. Not you, though. Instead, you frowned and leaned closer, the look in your eyes similar to last night. Angry and frigid. Your hands tapped against the table louder, the sound of your nails clicking against it filling the silence between you until you opened your mouth again after a few minutes.</p><p> </p><p>"You know, <strong> <em> Father </em> </strong>, not everything is what you want. I was having quite a pleasant chat with Connor here before you showed up. In fact, I think I would prefer just talking to him."</p><p> </p><p>"Since when have you been interested in a fucking Android?" Hank scoffed. You raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly, this couldn't end well. Connor may have only known you a little while, but the devious look in your eyes screamed trouble, and he didn't want to see what you were going to do.</p><p> </p><p>"Detective-"</p><p> </p><p>"Well, I suppose it started when Fowler showed me your cute ass partner here." Connor went wide-eyed, his expression similar to Hanks. After a few seconds, Hank glared at you but said nothing. He knew you just were saying it to irritate him and get a reaction. Like hell would he give you what you wanted. "I mean, come on, look at him! His freckles are just adorable! How could I not be interested in him? He's so smart as well, a total cutie and a genius!"</p><p> </p><p>You leaned forward and pinched his cheeks. The skin was supringsly soft in between your fingers as you stared at him playfully. Another blush was working its way onto his face as you cooed at him like one does to a cute dog or a baby. The bright look in your face as you cupped his cheeks and squished them together made him smile, he liked when you touched him and quickly found himself leaning into your warm touches.</p><p> </p><p>Hank looked like he was going to throw up. Then again, he also looked like he was going to punch Connor, so it was clear how exactly he was feeling. Somewhere between disgust and anger. It wasn't Connor's fault that you were flirting with him, of course, but Hank couldn't help himself from going into Dad ModeTM. When you leaned closer to Connor, Hank grabbed the boy and yanked him away from you. A frown spread over your face as you lowered your hand.</p><p> </p><p>"Come on, dad, I'm just playing."</p><p> </p><p>"We're going back to the office. Get up, Connor." Hank sent you a glare as he stood. The heated stare between you two was starting to become a pattern, a pattern that Connor didn't really like. One second you were calm, and things were friendly than the two of you were at each other's neck until one snapped or left. </p><p> </p><p>He felt divided between the two of you. On the one hand, he should just listen to Hank, he was his partner, and they did have work to do anyway. It would be smart to go get work done. But then again, he wanted to stay with you and your pleasant smile and the way you touched his skin. There was something so intoxicating about you that had him wanting more. Was this what humans called desire? A wanting, a burning to touch and feel and hold someone?</p><p> </p><p>You reached out and grabbed his hand gently. The skin on his hand slowly changed back to its natural white. When he noticed the change, his cheeks turned blue before he swallowed nervously. Marcus had mentioned to him a while back that sometimes this happened when an Android wanted to show happiness or to get closer to someone, typically done with someone the android liked or was dating. Hank watched as his hand slowly turned and interlocked with yours. Your fingers perfectly fit inside his, and the warmth of your palm against his cold skin made you smile warmly at him.</p><p> </p><p>"You don't have to go with him, you know. Dad is just cranky that I'm flirting with you and no woman wants his old ass-"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not fucking OLD!" Hank growled out as he slid back into the seats with you both, so you were paying attention to him again. His eyes stayed on your interlocked hand, slowly he shook his head as the waiter came up to take your orders. "Would you stop with the hand holding shit, it's fucking weird."</p><p> </p><p>"Awwwww Dad, you're just jealous~" You leaned forward to poke his cheek with a giggle. "Don't worry, dear father of mine, I can find you a girlfriend!"</p><p> </p><p>"I DONT WANT A FUCKING GIRLFRIEND DAMN IT."</p><p> </p><p>"It would be love at first sight! Trust me, Dad, she would be soooo hot!" Connor smiled at the way you playfully bantered with Hank, even though you two were just arguing there was a small smile on the older man's face as you playfully taunted him. Maybe things were shaky between the both of you, but he was still your father, and deep down, the two of you cared for each other. It showed in small ways that you both probably didn't even notice. Connor noticed these things, though.</p><p> </p><p>He found himself noticing a lot of things about you today. The way you crinkled your nose in thought as you wrote down inside files, how you grinned at him when he passed by, or said hello. Up close, like now, he noticed even smaller things. He saw the tiniest of marks on your face. The way your eyes were shaped and the shape of your nose. He found all of it beautiful and exciting to him.</p><p> </p><p>When you and Hank finally stopped joking to take your orders, Connor noticed his hand was still interlocked with yours. Gently, he squeezed your hand in his. When you pressed back and shot him a quick smile and wink a feeling of happiness shot through his entire body. He liked this, going out with his...Father to lunch, holding hands with an extraordinary girl who appeared to like him, feeling <em> normal </em>. It was as if he fits in somewhere. This was his...group. His family.</p><p> </p><p>Was this why humans enjoyed having partners and families? If he got a partner ((Which could also happen to be you-)) would he hold their hand like this, and would he feel this constant joy? Was this what a family felt like? </p><p> </p><p>Whatever this was, he liked it, and he wanted more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Detective, Is It Hot In Here, Or Did My Internal Fan System Just Crash?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry this is so short, I just couldnt stop imagining this happening with Nines lmao.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>When you walked into the precinct, your hand intertwined with Connors, you got quite a few stares. At first, he was worried you would be ashamed or pull away from him, but you didn't. In fact, it made you even more confident as if every stare was just what you wanted. Each look made you smile wider and squeeze his hand as if to confirm yes you were holding hands with the cutest android in the world, deal with it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hank had gone over to his desk while Connor walked you to yours. Gavin looked up from his desk and frowned, he nudged Nines and pointed over at the two of you. They watched as you leaned up and kissed his cheeks, thanking him for lunch and walking you back. He waved with a smile as you sat down at the white table. Once Connor was out of earshot, Gavin leaned forward with a scowl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Did you just come back hand in hand with the walking toaster?" He squinted his eyes as you raised an eyebrow, you turned to the files on your case while they watched. After a few seconds of flicking through the papers, you looked up and answered him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Whatsit to you? Connor is a nice guy, and I happen to like nice guys. Besides, why do you care if I hold hands with him? Like you said," You leaned close and smirked. "He's just a 'walking toaster.' Nothing to worry over.~"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"God, I did not miss you. When are you leaving for California again?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Aw, you're just jealous, Gav." Nines stared at you with suspicious eyes. From the moment you came into the room with Connor, he attentively watched you. It didn't make sense to him. How was it that Connor already charmed you? Perhaps Connor was better at...entertaining humans then he thought. But none of this mattered, all it told him was that he had to go harder and bigger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From the other side of the room, Connor glanced over at you every few seconds with a smile. Today had been going so well, save for the few bumps along the way involving hank, but he was confident the two of you were getting close. Just yesterday, you were seeing him for the first time and asking him to meet up with you. Then only a few minutes ago, you walked in hand and hand then kissed him! He didn't know much about human relationships, but he was pretty sure things were going smoothly. He would have to research some more on human dating.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as he thought this, Nines walked around your desk and bent over slightly. The warmth of his breath tickled your neck as you continued to focus on the different files in your hands. He was going over various articles on romance and seducing women before he finally settled on one technique that seemed like the right choice, after all, humans were simple-minded beings. How hard could it be to flirt with one? A few minutes passed until he finally spoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Detective, I'm unsure if it was my Bio components malfunctioning, but did I feel a spark between us?" The bluntness of his voice made you jump slightly and look up at him, shocked. You knew he was standing there, but you didn't expect him to talk to you, let alone say something like that. A soft blush covered your cheeks as he cocked his head to the side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you believe in love at first optical recognition, or should I ambulate by your location again?" Gavin raised an eyebrow at Nines, cheesy pickup lines? Was this because you walked in acting all lovey-dovey with Tin Can #1? It would have been funny if it wasn't such a pathetic attempt at flirting. He wasn't even showing any emotion! "I am extremely advanced in many different abilities that my predecessor does not possess. Would you like a demo of my multitouch capabilities? I’m fully functional and anatomically correct, I am also programmed in multiple techniques."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A long silence fell over the three over you before you and Gavin broke out into laughter. The LED on Nines flickered between yellow and red as you curled up laughing, your hands clutching your stomach as you cried out. The sound of you and Gavin laughing filled the entire precinct. Almost all eyes were on you as you rolled around laughing, Gavin was frantically wiping his eyes as he tried to stifle his loud chuckles. You, on the other hand, were in no way shamed at the deafening sound of your laughs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From what research Nines had done on women, it showed multiple articles saying these 'Bad' pick up lines were a guaranteed way to win over someone. They had even been 'robot' related, something he assumed would be a good connection ((Even though he was NOT a robot, but he would have to deal with it)). It should've been a perfect way to your heart, humans were so simple after all, so why were you laughing at him? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Jesus Tin Can those are horrible. Even</span>
  <em>
    <span> I</span>
  </em>
  <span> flirt better than that!" Gavin wiped his eyes with a low chuckle, you were slowly starting to quiet down as Nines frowned deeply. He looked down at you again as you tilted your head to stare up at him. "Anatomically correct...Jesus Christ, you can't just go up to someone and say that. You fucking freak."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh my god...That was hilarious, Nines! Just a little advice for you, darling," You patted his cheek with a smile and a quick wink. "If you're going to flirt, try to not sound like Siri. At least put a little emotion into it, as cute as you are, it kinda puts off women. Not that I'm complaining, of course. I find your bluntness adorable. Just might not work on every girl you meet."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He said nothing as he turned and walked back over to Gavin. Even though he had failed to accomplish his mission ((Mission being getting you to love him.)) this merely was the first attempt. The three of you were still having dinner tonight, which would be the perfect next attempt. From what he had seen in those romance movies Gavin liked to watch, dinner was a 'third date' sort of things while lunch was 'first date' activity. He hadn't even done anything, and he was at a higher base then Connor! Either way, though, he had succeeded at one thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You did call him cute.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. It's Just Curiosity, Right?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>It was shocking how many cases they had you reading. Hundreds of files and so many different facts to take in, unlike Connor or Nines, you couldn't just scan over something and remember all the data correctly. The entire day you read over each case and took down notes on how they could be connected. Then you added it to the notes you took back home on the evidence in California, somehow they had to be connected. Every few hours, Nines or Connor would step in and ask how things were going. Connor asking if you needed anything to eat or drink while Nines informed you that every few hours, you should take a break and relax, or you would get cramps in your hands and back. It was sweet how they tried to help ((All while sending each other shit-eating grins when they did something good that made you laugh or smile. This usually leads to the other angrily stomping over and trying even harder to get you to praise them.))</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Gavin told you that it was time to head out you barely went through a third of the papers, you would have to stay up in your hotel room all night just to finish the rest of these. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You started to pack up your things while Gavin went outside to start up his care. The minute he turned 16, he bought his first car all on his own and had been so proud of himself. You would spend all weekend riding around town with him doing stupid stuff. Even now, Gavin kept the old piece of junk, probably for sentimental reasons you supposed. He certainly could afford a newer one, but there was something special about that car.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One of the files dropped from out of your bag when you opened it. As you went to bend over and pick it up, two hands reached for it at the same time, they almost brushed together but stopped just short of the other. Your eyes slowly trailed up both of their sleeves, one a dark gray and the other white.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh! Hey guys!" You straightened out and smiled at Connor and Nines. The two were giving each other sharp glares, Nines had been faster and snatched up the document out of Connor's reach.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Gavin wanted me to inform you the car is ready, Detective."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Cool, I'm just packing up. Lots of work to do tonight, gotta pack all these up." You waved one of the papers with a chuckle. Even though you laughed, there was a tired look in your eyes, it was going to be a long night full of coffee and endless files. Instead of dwelling further on the thought of how your night was going to go, you turned and smiled at the slightly pouting Android. "Connor, do you want to go out tomorrow? I wanted to go visit some of the old parks around here, It could be a good place for some photos?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I would enjoy that-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Detective, would you like me to assist you tonight with those files?" The two of you turned to Nines. The look on his face was as blank as ever, but Connor could tell he wasn't pleased you asked Connor out on a date instead of him. Of course, you probably didn't realize that the two of them were having a little competition. In all honesty, they didn't even know they had started one either, Connor just wanted Nines away from you and Nines wanted you away from Connor. "You seem tired, and it would be useful for us to trade information. I can take you back to your hotel after </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  
  <em>
    <span>dinner</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stressed 'our' with a sharp glance at Connor. They gave each other annoyed glances while Nines tugged your bag onto him, the leather on the strap pressed his suit jacket down, and the satchel rested against his hip. Once he secured it and adjusted his coat, he looked down at you for your answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I mean, would Gavin be ok with that? Won't it be kinda weird?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Detective Reed does not control what I do," Nines said coldly. "If he has a problem with his work colleagues actually doing </span>
  <em>
    <span>work</span>
  </em>
  <span> instead of going out on </span>
  <em>
    <span>dates</span>
  </em>
  <span>, then that is his problem. Unlike my predecessor, I have a job to do, and I don't get...sidetracked."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor frowned and stepped next to you. The two had you between them, every step they took towards each other caged you in further. Since you were much shorter than them, they were able to glare at each other eye to eye. "Are you saying you have a problem going out on 'Dates' with (Y/n)? Or is it just me you dislike her going out with?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Its </span>
  <em>
    <span>Detective</span>
  </em>
  <span> Anderson." Nines corrected as he stepped forward, his chest now pressed against yours. "I am simply making an observation. It would be more rational for her to work with me.</span>
  <em>
    <span> I</span>
  </em>
  <span> won't get distracted, I am much more advanced and have done far more </span>
  <em>
    <span>important</span>
  </em>
  <span> cases than </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It would be logical for Hank and me to take her instead. We've been on this case longer and have more experience with homicides. Fowler assigned us for a</span>
  <em>
    <span> reason</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I disagree."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Do you now</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" They had caged you between them now, their noses almost touching as they argued. It was odd, their voices were calm and emotionless, yet their movements showed how pissed off both were. Connor had taken ahold of your waist in his hands, tugging you against his chest while Nines opted for grabbing your wrists and pulling you forward. They pushed and pulled you around before Connor finally huffed out, annoyed. "Why don't you let the Detective decide? Who would you prefer?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They finally looked down at you. There was a dark red blush on your face as you looked between the two, Nines's eyes squinted confused at your flustered expression but said nothing. Did you perhaps, enjoy being between the two of them? It wasn't a too far fetched idea, from what Nines had observed on human and Android relationships. Polyamorous relations had spiked since the revolution, and most humans seemed to enjoy the thought of having two lovers at once. Androids didn't see gender the way humans did. Relationships were complicated when it came to Androids, some viewed it as a two-person thing whereas others didn't care. It was all personal preference.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the case of Nines, though, he didn't want to bother with any sort of dating or partner. This was merely a test to prove he was superior in all aspects of 'life.' Sharing would just be a failure to him. But then again, by compromising now, he would have further opportunities, later on, to swoon you, so to speak.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Its just one night you guys heh, um I mean c-come on, we don't have to uh...Argue about it." There was uncertainty in your voice as you looked between them franticly. At the moment, all you wanted was to go back to your room and curl up in the warmth of your bed, not choose between two equally attractive talking microwaves.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nines looked over at Connor with a blank expression. One of the great things about Androids is that they could speak through their minds, similar to telepathy, to put it in simple terms. It helped them if they needed to communicate but stay silent to anyone else. This also helped in situations like this, where they wanted to talk and not have a human hear them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After silently staring at each other and arguing through their heads, they moved back from you. Connor smiled at you. He was trying to act friendly even though it was clear he didn't enjoy making this decision. "I'll see you tonight, ok? Nines and I agreed that both of us could come over and help, it would make more sense that we shared our collective insists."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Detective we should leave, Gavin has been waiting a while now, and he won't be happy if we stall any longer." Nines grabbed your hand and tugged you towards the door, you barely had time to turn and wave goodbye to Connor. He waved back with a sad smile before walking over to his desk to get some more work done.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Nines threw open the doors, the cold air rushed forward and hit you in the face, instantly you curled up against him in an attempt to get warmer. His jacket was soft against your shivering skin as you cuddled up to him. It was well known that Androids typically regulate their heat close to humans, but the warmth still surprised you. He was such a cold person that it somehow shocked you that he would be so warm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he sensed your shock, he didn't say anything. In fact, he didn't really say much at all when he wasn't arguing with Connor or disagreeing with Gavin, but you didn't mind. The silence was pleasant. His body was stiff as the two of you walked, you had wrapped your arms around his so your body was pressed against him. Surprisingly, he enjoyed the feeling of you close to him. Your touch felt soothing, and he liked how you clutched him for warmth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When you reached the car, neither of you had said anything to each other. What went down in the precinct was already in the past, there was no point talking about it, Gavin would probably wonder what the two of you were talking about anyway. Nines opened the passenger door for you and smiled slightly, you smiled back and slid into the heated up car with a sigh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Took you two long enough. To busy snogging the microwave to show up on time?" Gavin rolled his eyes with an annoyed huff. A small blush covered your cheeks as you glanced at Nines in the back seat, he stared back to you with his usual blank expression.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I was getting my stuff..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Where's your bag then?" Gavin pointed over at you in an accusing way as he pulled the car out of its park spot. Nines put the bag between the two of you in response. "Since when have you been such a gentleman, Tin Can?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His voice dripped with sarcasm and made you giggle as you shifted the bag into your lap. Their relationship was odd, but it was interesting. The way they bantered wasn't the same as Connor and Hank but similar in other ways. Even though Nines was 'More advanced,' he was clearly clueless at his more human side, and Connor was just as confused. The attempts they made at acting normal were funny and endearing, though.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Connor stopped us from leaving." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So she was kissing the plastic prick?" Gavin glanced over at you and chuckled. "I don't see what you like about those...things. They ain't more than a glorified computer, can't treat you the way a human could."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Like the way you treat women, right? I'll take the computer over you any day Gav." Nines gave a short chuckle at your retort, he quickly turned away as you smiled. You were guessing he didn't laugh at much, let alone out loud at a human.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Whatever. I'm just saying, if you want the real thing, I'm always here."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hard pass Darlin." You teased with a wink, he shook his head before leaning over and ruffling your hair. Gasping, you whacked his hand away while complaining about your hair, this just made him tousle it harder and ruin it further.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The road, Detective." Nines pointed ahead at the upcoming red light. Gavin cursed and hit the breaks quickly, his hand leaving you to grip the wheel tightly. Thankfully Nines warned you just quick enough, Gavin's care skidded to a stop just before the light. "You want to take a left up ahead-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You sound like google maps." Gavin snorted as Nines looked down at you. You were looking up at him with an innocent gaze as he processed what you had just called him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Google?" He questioned with a frown.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, when Gav and I were kids, we had Google. You used it to search up questions and stuff. You sound like Google maps, just less...annoying?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Pretty damn annoying to me-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Gavin shush." You smacked his shoulder as the light flickered green. The car slowly rolled forward as Nines immediately researched what Google was and what the maps sounded like. You leaned back into the seat with a soft sigh, Gavin had turned on the radio, and smooth jazz filled the car as you rested your eyes. It had been a crazy day already. A few minutes of sleep would do you some good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In only a matter of seconds, you were snoring peacefully, body curled up into the seat with your bag against your chest. Nines leaned closer to inspect your sleeping face as Gavin looked out the window. He reached forward and pushed a lock of your hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering on your delicate cheek. The skin was warm underneath his fingers as he stroked your cheek lightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You shifted in your sleep and pressed closer to his hand. A pleased sigh left your lips as he stroked his thumb over your cheek, his eyes scanning over every reaction you gave. What was this feeling? No human interested him like this, your skin was so soft and warm compared to his. When he pressed his finger against your lips, they parted slightly for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He jerked away as Gavin turned back to the road. Nines's LED was red as he tried to process what he just did. It was merely curiosity, right? That was just an attempt to better understand the human body, why else would he do anything like that. A soft whisper of his name left your lips. Gavin hadn't heard it over the music, but Nines did. The sound of your voice made him shiver and looked over at you confused, had you been awake when he touched you? No, you definitely were asleep, so why had you said his name in your sleep?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Had you been dreaming of him? The thought made his heart ((Or in this case, Thirium pump)) flutter, and he couldn't help but wonder what you were dreaming about and what it could do with him. Connor's interest in you was starting to make more and more sense the more time he spent with you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Most humans still had a hatred for Androids or tried them differently. Even the humans who did like Androids treated them separately, they weren't human after all, it would be hard for them to learn to address them the same. But you? It was no problem for you. When you looked at him, all you saw was another person, a being that had the same rights as you and feelings. When you saw an Android, you gave them respect like you gave any other human. You enjoyed being in his company, and from what he learned overhearing your chats with Gavin, you genuinely cared about androids interests and what they wanted. You didn't say it condescendingly or to act like some noble accepting person, you said it like it was merely the truth. It made him wonder if you would be interested in him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When you meet, you instantly were engrossed in him. It gave him a feeling of importance that he hadn't felt from anything else. He knew he was the most advanced thing created, He was constantly on the news, and there was always a case getting him more and more famous. But somehow, it had been different coming from you. This one human, this average person that could stand in a crowd of a hundred other people and blend in perfectly, had captured his interest so quickly. He craved your acceptance and praising words. Being a deviant was something he could never understand, but now, he felt like it was slowly starting to make sense.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Richard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"I didn't...I don't know what I expected." Your eyes slowly took in the apartment. All in all, it was reasonably empty save for the few bookcases and the basic set up of a couch, TV, coffee table, and cats. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So many cats.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gavin pushed past you to pick up one of the meowing kittens, it curled up in his arms as he cooed and stroked its fur. The cold and sarcastic Gavin was gone and replaced with...this...thing. Nines pressed his hand on the small of your back so you would move forward enough for him to close the door, he couldn't help but smirk when you jumped and blushed at the small touch. One of the cats slowly stalked up to you and purred as it rubbed over your legs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That one's named Poe, this little cutie is Butterscotch and...fuck where did he go?" Nines lifted up the last cat, it was a pure white with burning blue eyes, they stared at you as if it was staring into your soul and didn't like what it saw. "That one is Nines."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"His name is...Also, Nines?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes." The two of them said at the same time. Gavin plopped down on the couch while Nines went into the kitchen to feed the cats their dinner. From your spot near the door, you could see a majority of the apartment. To your right was a small kitchen and a breakfast bar. Across from that was the front room, a couch was pushed up against the wall. Opposite the sofa, a TV set up between two doors. A few books were strewn around it, and one of the cats had hopped up onto the TV stand. To your left was the final door that you were guessing was the bathroom since the door was open and you could see a shower.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When you walked into the kitchen, Nines was scratching the white cat's fur, he was crouched down and watching the animal closely as it licked up water. There was a warm look on his face as the cat lifted its head to lick his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I didn't see you as a cat person." Your voice was quiet, he looked up and stared at you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Gavin insisted on keeping them when I moved in."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sounds like you two get along pretty well. I mean, you're living together." He stood up and opened up the Refrigerator. As he scanned the contents, you leaned against the door, your eyes shifted over his face slowly. "Are you two...You know?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I have no interest in having a human partner nor an Android partner." The answer was short and cold as he slammed the fridge door closed. It gave a loud thud as he paused to look over at you, you had jumped back when he slammed it, and you had an almost...Discouraged look? Were you disappointed he wasn't dating Gavin or that he didn't want a partner?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, ok. Sorry just...I haven't talked to him in so long, you know? I want to make sure he has someone. Before I moved, we were each other's only friends...he was the one that encouraged my passions so i...I guess I hoped..." The look on your face quickly went from troubled to slightly angry at yourself. "Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. You two are friends, and that's all that matters. He may be...a bit troubled, but he's a good guy. He just needs someone there for him."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're a...Good friend. He mentions you sometimes. We don't talk much outside work, but there have been a few times he talked about his past. He always speaks fondly of you." His voice had lowered to a gentle and slow tone. There was slight guilt in his tone, he didn't mean to make you feel bad, but nothing he said was a lie. When you gave him a smile, he felt that flutter inside of him again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thanks...For everything, you know? Taking care of him can be hard, but you're doing great. If anyone will keep him safe, it's you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yo, Tin Can I'm hungry, are you ordering food?" Gavin called out form the front with a smirk. Nines rolled his eyes with a shake of his head, you giggled and poked your head through the bar.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What do you want to eat, Gav Gav?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ugh, honestly, I could care less. Just pick something so we can get to work." You nodded and looked over at Nines. He stared down at you as you slowly examined him up and down, your eyes were narrowed as you stepped closer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When you were in front of him, your hands reached out and started to tug his jacket away. The material was soft and light in your hands, he didn't stop you or say anything as you pulled it off and tossed it over the counter. Next, you reached up and undid the first two buttons of his shirt, your fingers skimmed over the skin of his neck before slowly moving up to his hair. After ruffling his hair up, you smiled at him cheesily. The locks fell over his face as his LED flickered yellow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There, much better. We need a new name for you. We can't just keep calling you Nines. It has to be a real name, one that you don't share with the cats."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't understand, Detective." Your hands smoothed over his chest slowly, feeling his stiff yet soft body before hooking your finger into his belt loops.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How about Richard? Likes RK, you look like a Rich."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I...I suppose that works." He stared into your eyes as you gazed into his. The close proximity was starting to become more of a reality to him, the way your breath fanned across his face, the smallest bit of heat he could feel radiating from your body, the way your eyes stared into his as if you were trying to pick apart his thoughts. Your fingers stayed on his hips as you tilted your head curiously, all sound seemed to leave the room as he slowly lifted his hand to cup your cheek again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I had the oddest dream in the car. I was walking along the park, but when I went around one of the bends in the road, I saw you. When you walked over to me, you touched my face just like this." Your voice lowered to a gentle whisper, his thumb brushed over your lips just like it did in the car. Softly, you kissed his finger, your eyes fluttering closed as you spoke. "It felt so...real. As if you actually were touching me. Odd, isn't it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He fell silent as you opened your eyes again. A few seconds passed, your eyes connected with his as you held him by the waist. Finally, you let him go. As if sensing you crossed over some unsaid boundary, you coughed awkwardly as you shoved your hands into your pockets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh, sorry. What do you want for um...Dinner? Do you have a favorite place or something?" You stared at the ground and muttered your words. Quickly he searched up the different shops nearby. He knew them by memory but wanted to go over them in hopes of finding one you would enjoy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"There is a restaurant down the street that serves Italian. It has 4.5 stars and is said to be the best restaurant on-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Richard, I said what </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted." The two of you stared at each other silently. It was odd hearing you call him by an actual name, he liked the way it rolled off your tongue casually. As if he was a real person. In a way, he was, that's what deviancy was after all. But it never felt like reality to him. Why would he want to pretend to be a human? He was entirely secure with his status as an Andoird, its why he kept his standard jacket and LED, this was who he was. Something about the way you asked what he wanted made his processors work overtime in hopes of a suitable answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'll order some Chinese from downtown." You gave a short nod before walking around the counter to the front room. He watched as you tugged off your jacket and tossed it onto one of the chairs, he slowly took in your now bare arms and the dip of your shirt collar. It was much, but it made him pause and stare at you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So what have you two been working on? Got any fun stories, there's gotta be something cool you two have done."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Once we went to that Eden club awhile back and one of the fucking robots tried to seduce him," Gavin smirked as he scratched the back of Butterscotch's ears. "Damn microwave didn't even respond. The poor girl looked heartbroken."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Detective last time I checked, you were the one telling me not to get distracted." Nines rolled his eyes and walked over to the two of you. Quickly you scooted over and patted next to you, he sat down and carefully placed his hands into his lap.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Could've at least shot her down gently."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It wasn't important to the case."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you know nothing of love?" Gavin mockingly said with a raised eyebrow. There was a teasing tone to his voice as he leaned against you, his head resting on your shoulder as Poe jumped onto your lap. One of your arms moved up to run through Gavin's hair while the other stroked the cat, you softly scratched the both of their heads with a smile. "God, that feels amazing doll. Go a little harder."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's what your mom said last night."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Low blow! You ruined the mood!" Gavin yanked himself away with a laugh as you raised an eyebrow and smirked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The mood? Gavin, you are nothing more than a cat wanting cuddles and scratches. there was no mood, just your sad need for affection." He went to argue, but you weren't paying attention. Instead, you focused on the TV. It had switched over to the news, and Marcus was on screen talking about how he was working on developing new parts for Androids </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> humans. He spoke excitedly with Elijah next to him. Every once in a while, they would switch, and Elijah took over to talk about the more 'brains' part of their process. "You know, I never thought about upgrading humans. I mean, we already are so primitive compared to androids, why would they bother making us better?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What are you talking about?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, why bother? Humans are not permanent, why would you try to increase the life span of something that's death is inevitable. I just don't understand whats the purpose of it all." A silence fell over the room as they thought about what you said. Gavin could understand what you were saying, he had known you for years, and he knew there was a point in your life you questioned it all. What was the purpose of living if you were just going to die either way? What was the use of it all?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the other hand, Richard was thinking over why you thought life wasn't worth living. To his understanding, all humans wanted to live forever. It was something humans aimed for their entire existence, a way to stay young, the fountain of youth, all those plastic surgeries and products to keep you young looking. Death was something scary to most people. What had happened that made you question your will to keep going? It made him slightly worried for you, what had caused you to not want to live longer than usual? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think people just need a reason to keep going. Something to make them want to live?" Gavin said with a frown, his brow creased in thought. "All that romantic bull shit, finding someone and wanting to live with 'em."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But wouldn't that just hurt even more? Knowing one day, they might leave or get hurt or die? Getting close to someone just ends up with you hurt and alone."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sometimes, that pain is worth it." Gavin looked down at you with a sad smile, there was a deep melancholy look in his eyes that made you blink up at him in thought. It wasn't a look Nines could say he has ever seen, but as he went to say something, there was a knock on the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You stood up and walked over to the door before they could do it themselves. As you passed, you grabbed your coat to rummage around for your wallet. When Richard went to protest, you raised your hand and silenced him. He leaned back down as you finally pulled your card out and walked around the corner to the front door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What do you think, Tin Can? Do you want to live forever, do Androids even believe in the afterlife or whatever?" Gavin turned to look at Nines with a raised eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Some do, I personally have no interest in living forever. I was made to finish a mission-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't have a mission now, you have free will and all that (). You aren't interested in getting a wife and starting a weird android future? Build annoying little versions of yourself?" Nines looked over at him with an annoyed stare, children were the last thing he thought about. That wasn't why he was made, and he definitely didn't want them. But then again, he had never been with someone who made him want to have kids. With how much his mind was changing today, he wasn't sure what he thought anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Life was such a delicate subject, and it confused him immensely. Thankfully you walked back in, your arms full of food and drinks and plates. You set the different boxes on the coffee table with a loud huff. "Jesus Richard, you didn't need to buy this much food."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I figured you could take it for lunch tomorrow. It's essential to get a full meal every day so you can work at your full potential."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wait, Richard? Since when did you get a name?" Gavin looked between the two of you confused, a small smile covered your face as you shared a glance with Nines. It was as if it was your special thing, you had chosen his name just for him, and no one else. There was a playfulness in your stare as you passed him a plate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead of answering, the two of you just smiled at Gavin knowingly. He squinted his eyes but didn't bother to ask, not when you two were smiling all creepy like at him.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. This Is A Bad Idea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Should I use Richard or Nines more? Honestly I keep defaulting to Nines but I wanted him to have a name, what do you guy's think? Oh next chapter is more then likely going to be a smut.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"You don't have to do this, you know, its late. You should get back home to Gavin-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Detective Reed will survive one night without me. I insist." Nines hooked his arm with yours and smiled. The entire drive to your hotel had been silent until you finally turned on the radio in hopes that it would make things less awkward. When you did get to the hotel, he still insisted on going in an helping with paperwork ((Something you had forgotten about in all honesty)) and spending the night working with you. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no point in arguing with him. No matter what you said, he would end up going with you one way or another, might as well be compliant. The two of you walked up to the front of the building, where another Android was standing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Connor!" Your arm slipped from Richards as you rushed up to hug Connor. He smiled and quickly opened his arms so you could press yourself into him, he chuckled and patted your head softly as you nuzzled his jacket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Good evening, Detective."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm glad you came!" You pulled away from his warm chest to look up at him with a bright smile. Nines walked up behind the two of you and stared down at Connor blankly. As soon as someone mentioned Connor or he walked into the room, Richard defaulted to a deadpan face. "How long were you standing out here? It's cold!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Only a few minutes, no need to worry! I can turn off my temperature sensors at any time." He looked up and stared at Nines with a small frown. Neither said anything as you grabbed their hands and tugged them into the hotel. Your hand intertwined with theirs and squeezed lightly for their attention. The women at the front desk looked up and smiled at you as the elevator opened for you three.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few seconds of riding, the doors slide open, and you pulled them along the long hallways. After doing some quick research, both saw that this hotel was one of the bests in Detroit, at least the best in this area. From the direction they were going in, it was safe to assume you had a suite. The rooms here were reasonably expensive on their own, but a suite was even more so. The hotel was only a few minutes away from the department, and if need be, you could leave and get there quickly. A smart move on your part.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You let go of their hands to pull out your key card and slide it through the lock. The door clicked open as you pushed it, you turned and waved for them to come in with you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As far as hotel rooms went, this one wasn't extraordinary on its own. To the left was a medium-sized bathroom, the door was open, and they could see a large bath and shower. Straight ahead was a spacious room with a bed and a TV opposite of it that was next to a small desk. Past that, there was a small divider that went to the 'front room' with a couch, coffee table, TV, and a ton of pillows. A kitchen connected to it, and finally, at the end of the room was a sliding door to a balcony. In one of the corners, there were a few duffle bags and a rolling suitcase. On the desk, there were a few piles of papers and scribbled out notes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connor closed the door behind him as you sat down on the bed. They watched from the entranceway as you tugged your shoes off and tossed them aside before tugging your jacket off. Connor moved first and sat down at the desk facing you, his hands neatly placed in his lap as he watched you move around the room tidying up. Nines went to sit on the bed and observe as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Connor, are you hungry? We brought back some Chinese, knowing my father, he probably still avoids cooking. I don't want you starving because he doesn't like getting his () up."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thank you, Detective, but I already ate." He shook his head with a polite smile, you shrugged and went past the two into the kitchen to put the food away. Once you were out of earshot, he turned to Nines. "What are you planning?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm planning nothing, it is beneficial for me to get to know Detective Anderson for our case-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You never have had an interest in a human before. The last time we talked you were saying they aren't needed and that we are the superior species, why bother with this one?" Connor looked over at in the direction of where you went with a frown. "What's different?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, what makes her different to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't know what you mean."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> her," Nines said bluntly, his eyebrows knitted together in slight annoyance. A shocked look crossed over Connor's face before he quickly frowned. Even if he was correct about how Connor felt that didn't change why </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>was interested. Nines was just stalling at this point, it was only a matter of seconds before you came back into the room, and they would have to stop talking. But if Connor didn't ask him now, it would never come up again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"She is kind and...she cares about Androids and people. When I tell her my interests, she listens. Humans aren't all bad. You may be a Deviant, Nines, and we may be the same model," Connor stood up and stepped towards him with every word. "But you and I are not the same. You don't care about Humans, you use them for your own enjoyment and benefit."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Connor," Nines said warningly, he quickly stood up to establish dominance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I won't let you hurt (Y/n), and I won't let you use her for some </span>
  <em>
    <span>twisted game.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" He went to grab his jacket, but his wrists were quickly caught by Nines. Nines stared down at him angrily, it wasn't a look that he gave often, and it made Connor pause. Had what Connor said struck something inside of him? Did he actually...Care in some way? But instead of saying anything, Nines let him go and sat back down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, you walked back in with a smile. You looked between the two confused, both of their LED's were bright red, and Connor was standing over Nines with an angry look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Um, you guys, ok?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course, Detective." Nines turned to you and smiled softly, it made you relax. As you walked over to them, quickly, you kissed their cheeks before moving towards your bags. Both watched as you bent over to grab something from the bags, Connor looked away embarrassed while Nines raised an eyebrow in thought, his eyes scanning over your body as he tilted his head. Connor smacked him, annoyed. "Don't hit me-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't stare." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm gonna take a shower, will you two be able to get along or do I need to take you with me?" Their heads snapped back over to you both of their eyes wide in surprise. You chuckled and walked over to the bathroom. "I'll leave the door open if you need me, join me if you like. Oh, by the way, that is an invite for the </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> of you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They shared a quick glance before sharply looking away. You disappeared into the bathroom, the door was open just a sliver, and the sound of water hitting the floor came soon after. When they heard you start humming as you slipped under the water, they went back to talking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We are not-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I thought you </span>
  <em>
    <span>liked</span>
  </em>
  <span> Detective Anderson. We wouldn't want to <em>disappoint</em> her now, do we?" Nines smirked cockily as he patted the other man's shoulder. The look in his eyes screamed bad idea, but Connor couldn't help pausing to think it over. There had been no trace of a lie in your voice, and psychical contact was something humans did enjoy, it increased most emotional bonds so extended amounts of it could improve his relationship with you. It would be logical for them to join you. It was what YOU wanted, not them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...Totally.</span>
</p>
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